Connecting rod



F. SCHAEFER CONNECTING ROD Oct. 19, 1937.

Filed June 29, 1936 INVENTOR.

M @TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 aosaoev PATENT'Fri CONN ECTING ROD I Frederic Schaefer, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application June 29, 1936, Serial No. 87,849

1 Claim. (01. 74. 5am

This invention relates to railway car brake rigging, and more pa'rticularly to connecting rods for-thebrake levers thereof.

In railway car brake rigging there is a tendency 5 for the-brakebeams to tilt in 'a transverse vertical plane," thereby permitting the upper ends of the brake shoesto drag rather heavily against the wheels while the car is under motion with the brakes-released As' a result, the upper ends of brakeshoes have beenworn considerably more than their lower ends and the shoes have required replacement'more frequently" than if' the wear had "been distributed uniformly over their surface. To correct this undesirable situation in some brake riggings, rigid links are pivotally connected at their ends to the brake beam struts and the connecting rod, the links being of such length that they maintain the brake beams level so that the upper ends of the brake shoes do not drag against the wheels. The connecting rod used with these leveling links must have relatively long bifurcated end portions in which to pivot the brake levers and the links. Consequently, there is danger of the end portions bending at their inner ends.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a connecting rod, for use in brake rigging of the type described, in which the long bifurcated end portions of the rod are reinforced against relative lateral bending or deflection.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a vertical transverse section through railway car brake beams showing the levers, leveling links and connecting rod of the brake rigging; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the connecting rod; Fig. 3 is a side view of the rod; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are still further enlarged transverse sections of the rod taken on the lines IVIV,

V--V and VI-VI, respectively, of Fig. 3.

In accordance with this invention a brake rod has relatively long bifurcated or forked ends provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of openings adapted to receive pins on which are pivotally mounted the brake levers and brake beam leveling links of brake rigging. The spaced side walls of each long bifurcated end portion are reinforced against bending by an integral portion of the rod that rigidly connects one edge only of those walls at the inner end thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a pair of brake beams, each formed from a channel I and a truss rod 2 connected together at their ends with their central portions spaced apart by a bifurcated strut 3, is actuated to apply or release the brake-shoes (not shown) by brake levers 4 and 5' pivotally connected at their lower ends in the struts by pins 5. The upper end of. the dead lever 4 is pivotally connected in a fulcrum bracket 1 which extends laterally from the truck bolster 8 to which itis pivoted. The upper end of the live lever 5 is pivotally connected in a Well-known manner to an air cylinder (not shown) by which'it is actuated.

The two levers are connected together adjacent their lower ends in-the usualway. by a connecting rod '9 having bifurcated or forked ends that straddle the levers, each endbeing provided with two longitudinally spaced pairs of openings II in either pair of which a pin l2 may be disposed forpivotally connecting the adjoining lever to the rod. Spaced inwardly from these openings at each end of the rod are two more longitudinally spaced pairs of openings [3 in either one of which a pin l4 may be disposed for pivotally con necting the upper end of a leveling link I6 to the rod. The lower end of each link is pivotally connected in the brake beam strut below it by a pin I! adjacent channel I. These links are of such length that they maintain the brake beams level and prevent them from tilting in a transverse vertical plane, whereby the upper ends of the brake shoes are prevented from bearing against the wheels with any more pressure than the lower endsof the shoes.

The connecting rod is preferably formed in the general manner disclosed in my patents Nos. 1,445,850 and 1,947,278 from a fiat metal plate the ends of which are forged into shape and provided with openings HI and E3, the plate then being bent into the shape of the connecting rod shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rod preferably has a tubular body 2| (Fig. 4) in which the seam 22 extends lengthwise and opens up at the end portions of the rod Where the edges of the plate from which the rod is formed are spaced apart to form substantially parallel spaced side Walls or tines 23 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6). and 13 in these side walls to be arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs (Fig. 2) with the openings in each pair in axial alignment for receiving one of the pivot pins l2 or M.

To permit a brake lever to extend transversely through the end of the rod between its spaced side walls in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the end portion of the rod on the side opposite to seam 22 is provided with an inwardly extending lever-receiving slot 24, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The end portions of the rod are thus bifurcated, and as provision is made for four pairs This causes openings ll ent width, or'connectin'g rods imwhich the lon gitudinal spacing of the pivot openings is differomitted." 7 V V V- s It is a feature of this invention that the rod {is notiweake'ned materially by these extra-lon reinforcing themagainst lateral bending launder strain; Accordingly, slots 24 are no longerthan necessary to permit the required swinging of the 7 upper portions of the levers therein} 'When the proportions of the various; parts 'of the brake rigging are'substanti'ally as shown'inFig. 1, and. i, the levers are pivoted in the second pair-015' "openingsfr om the end of the rod, the slots'should nermos't: pairs of openings l3; From' that point '7 walls 23 'are' rigidly connected by. a'tie 'n ember or reinforcing web'portion 2B integral therewith j and with bo' dy 2|. Consequently, the sidewalls;

7 along Qn dge opposite Y the i n st pair o O e gs; j- 7 1 r c It willbe understoodjthat'if levers of a diiiere ffi arespaced apart throughoutltheir width "except;

varied in 'a correspondingmanner; In the lro d shownin Fig 1 ,theslcts; and reinforcing webs V areat the top, and-theupper endsof links l6 aredisposed between the s ide walls directly be- 'low vthe webs. In rigging in which the connectinwardly to the tubular body'the edgesio fgside 7 V f otherwise than as specifically illustrated 'a nd tie-:- {scribed-. 7 I 1 i c a 1 3 A H ting rod forusein hrakefrigging pro-7 vided 'with beam-leveling Jinks; 'saiderod helng; formed of a metal plate ra nd'having'a tubular" n 7 7 V I c a V -;2,'oee,oe'z"' flof openings ineach'end; the bifurcated portionsf I must be considerably longer than those of rods' in which the two=pairs of. link openings are ing rod isdisposed :belowfthe brake beams, the 7 rod would be turned over to place the reinforcing web s at the bottom so ject from its;top.

that the links could pro- 'i V Aconnectingjrod' formed in" accordance with I 'I I W 7 this invention isstmng and' rigid iatitsends, in bifurcated; ends because means is provided for? spite of itheir beingbifurcated for a' considerable distance; because reinforcing webs-26 rigidly c'on-j 'nect 'side walls 23 at the inner end ofone I edge and prevent,them from bending r or ;sp1feading apart at thatpoint. r

According? to the provisions lot the "patent, Z tatutearli have explained the principle and con-V :struction of my invention' 'and have illustrated anddescribed what I now consider to represent, extend inwardly to fa pointbetween the two inrjfj its best embodiment However, Irdesire to have pended 1c1aim, the; invention may practiced 1A connee body t provided I with ja longitudinal i seem; the f edges of' t e end portions' of said plate being 2' spaced apart to :form substantially parallel'Vside 7 I w'a11s,vsaid walls being providedjvwith a. plurality g i of-.jlongitudinally spaced :pairsof openings, each" V of 7 said end portions *being provided with a cen tral slot extending inwardly to a pointb'etween the two innermost pairs ofsaid openings. V ,7 I FREDERIC SCHAEE'ER, f V 

